France (Louis XI)
France led by Louis XI is a custom civilization by TopHatPaladin. This mod requires Brave New World. Overview The Valois Era The Valois dynasty, to which Louis XI was born, first took power in France in 1328. After Charles IV died without a male heir, the French crown devolved upon his cousin, Philip of Valois. This proved to be a contentious succession: Charles' nephew was King Edward III of England, who was a closer relative, but because Edward inherited his claim from Charles' sister, Salic law deemed him ineligible. This dispute between Philip and Edward led to the initial eruption of the Hundred Years War in 1337. As the Hundred Years War raged, a series of Valois kings ascended the French throne; meanwhile, cadet branches of the family spread throughout France, and Valois descendants came to hold most of France's noble titles. Ultimately, Charles VII would drive the English near-completely out of France; after the Battle of Castillon in 1453, the Hundred Years War would end, with England's only French possession being Calais. Thus, Charles VII and Louis XI could take advantage of peacetime to consolidate royal power. Louis XI's wedding to Charlotte of Savoy also began the trend of French meddling in the Italian peninsula. During Louis' day this was purely diplomatic, but his successors Charles VIII and Francis I involved themselves heavily in warfare in Italy. Influence on the Italian city-states became one of France's primary goals in the early sixteenth century, and one that brought France into frequent conflict with the Hapsburg dominions. The successors of Francis I were less concerned with the Italian peninsula, though, and in 1559 the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis ended France's involvement there. The last phase of the Valois era was dominated by conflict between Catholics and Protestants, a conflict that ultimately exploded into the War of the Three Henrys. Henry of Navarre led the Huguenots in this conflict, while Henry of Guise headed the Catholic League; Henry III of France, adopting a more neutral stance, fought against both. France's religious wars came to a close in 1589; a fanatical monk assassinated Henry III, and before he died, Henry enjoined his retainers to support the cause of Henry of Navarre. With this additional support, Henry of Navarre was able to secure victory, and the Bourbon dynasty supplanted the Valois on the throne of France. Louis XI Louis XI - known as "the Prudent," "the Cunning," and "the Universal Spider" - was born in the summer of 1423. During his youth, France suffered several losses in the Hundred Years War, leading Louis to scorn his father as a weak ruler. This contempt would lead Louis to join the Praguerie, a rebellion that took place against Charles VII in 1440. Although the rebellion failed, Louis was forgiven; he continued to scheme against people in the royal court, though, and Charles eventually opted to send Louis away from Paris in 1446. Louis was placed in charge of the Dauphiné, a province in the southeast of France; he continued to disobey his father, though, refusing to answer summons and marrying Charlotte of Savoy without royal consent. In 1461, upon learning that Charles VII was dying, Louis rushed to Charles' estate in Reims to ensure his succession. As king, he set about to curtail the power of the nobility, disenfranchising many of his former co-conspirators; instead, Louis mingled heavily with the common and merchant classes, and largely chose his advisors from those classes as well. Louis also spent much of his kingship traveling the realm; he would visit towns by surprise and investigate local governments, and he modernized the royal road system in order to better facilitate these travels. Louis' reign was also characterized by a long-lasting feud with Burgundy, which had become one of France's most powerful vassals in the earlier fifteenth century. When Charles the Bold ascended to the Duchy of Burgundy in 1467, he had hoped to declare an independent kingdom, but Louis' efforts to reduce aristocratic power prevented him from doing so. The two had an early clash in the aftermath of the Liège Wars, and broke out into full warfare in 1472, although its results were inconclusive. Charles the Bold would ultimately die in battle against the Swiss in 1477, after which Louis XI had Burgundy reverted to his personal control. In his personal life, Louis XI was something of a recluse, and he made few friends; he was also superstitious, and kept astrologers in his coterie. Louis also inaugurated the Order of St. Michael, a chivalric order intended to compete with the Burgundians' Order of the Golden Fleece. Louis' death eventually came in the August of 1483. Dawn of Man Hail, Louis XI, the Cunning, the Universal Spider! A master of intrigues, you began scheming against your rivals from a young age, leading the Praguerie rebellion against your father when you were only sixteen. Your diplomatic skills also allowed you to juggle various foreign affairs, meddling in Italy and negotiating with the English during the Wars of the Roses. When diplomacy failed, you could also take to the battlefield, as you did against the upstart Burgundians. Shrewdest of all, however, was your internal administration; you kept the power of the nobles tightly constrained, with frequent visits and a strict financial policy, allowing power to consolidate upon you personally. Louis, you may not have been loved during your lifetime, but your people have come to miss the prudent and steady hand with which you led France. Can you forge a state that fears no threat, from either outside or within? Can you build a civilization that will stand the test of time? Introduction: You stand in the chambers of Louis of Valois. If you have any information worth sharing, I would be happy to take it off your hands. Defeat: It seems my enemies are more competent than I realized. Well, if I ruled well, then I am content. Unique Attributes Music Mod Support 'Additional Achievements' Events and Decisions Found the Order of St. Michael Founding chivalric orders seems to be popular among the rulers these days. We can't have our knights swearing loyalty to anyone besides ourselves; the clear solution is to establish a chivalric order of our own, and ensure that our most elite knights stay true. Requirements/Restrictions: * Player must be Louis XI * Must have entered the Medieval Era * May only be enacted once per game Costs: * 200 Gold * 1 Magistrate Rewards: * Gain a burst of Culture when expending Great Generals and Great Admirals Construct Royal Postal Roads The nobles have it too easy! We should be able to come by at any time and make sure they're not up to anything seditious. But, if we really want to get around the country quickly and stealthily, we'll need to modernize our road system... Requirements/Restrictions: * Player must be Louis XI * Must have researched Engineering * May only be enacted once per game Costs: * 250 Gold * 1 Magistrate Rewards: * +2 Happiness from cities connected to the Capital * Halved maintenance cost on Roads and Railroads Unique Cultural Influence "Our people are now drinking your wines and listening to your motets. I fear the rest of the world will also succumb to the influence of your culture." Full Credits List * TopHatPaladin: Design, Code, Art, Text * JFD, whoward69: Utilities * Joaquin des Prez: Peace Theme (composer) * Peter Phillips: Peace Theme (performer) * Antoine Brumel: War Theme (composer) * Dario Tabbia: War Theme (performer) Category:All Civilizations Category:TopHatPaladin Category:Western Cultures Category:Civilizations with Male leaders Category:France